


Plausible Deniability | FBI!Shawn | Criminal!Reader

by particulataste



Category: Shawn Mendes (Musician)
Genre: Alternative Universe - FBI, Criminal Reader, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, FBI Agent Shawn Mendes, Fluff, Heavy Angst, Secret Relationship, Smut, white collar inspired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-04 00:27:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17888036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/particulataste/pseuds/particulataste
Summary: When an FBI agent makes his number one criminal a deal, the two are paired to work together, solving crimes with his badge and her expertise. But not everything is always as it seems.*Heavily inspired by White Collar





	Plausible Deniability | FBI!Shawn | Criminal!Reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Shawn learns of your outbreak, he’s ready to pursue you, again.

Papers were strewn over the desk, mug-shaped coffee stains adoring the light wood of the surface and Shawn let out an aggravated sigh. The paperwork had been piling up all day, chitter chatter of the bureau seeping through the cracks of his office and the constant ringing of the company phones slowly began to deafen him.

He spun around in his chair, brows tightly knitted together as he stared out to his city view. It bustled along below him, cars honking at the traffic and passersby chattering their day away. He sat back in his chair, hand patting at his thigh and he loosened his tie, rolling his neck in attempts to ease some tension.

It was 4 pm and Shawn had been in the office since six that morning, rummaging through evidence and trying to find the find ties between two different robberies in the area. Though his supervisory agent argued it should be dealt by with the police department, Shawn argued that the cases could be tied to the same criminal that had committed a similar crime just two weeks prior.

“Boss,” Brian bolted through the door of his office, brown file in his calloused hand and he panted out for breath. Shawn twisted in his chair and quickly rose to his feet with wide eyes. “What?” he asked, slightly startled by his friend and co-workers outburst.

Brian pursed his lips, green eyes wide and dark red hair a mess on his head. “It’s Y/N,” he breathed, Shawn’s heart momentarily stopping before Brian spoke again. “She broke out,” he told his supervisor, heart stammering in his chest and he knew how much of a break this arrest would be.

“Get the team, I know exactly where she’s going,” Shawn demanded, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his chair and sprinting out of his office. He bounced down the step of the bureau, calling out his team and they ushered out of the office behind him.

Bundling into the elevator, Shawn ran a hand through his unruly curls, a deep sigh tearing through his chest and he worried about seeing you again. The first time he arrested you was enough, and he didn’t know whether or not he could face you again.

“How do you know where she’s going?” Agent Drake asked, clicking the ground floor button and Shawn let out another sigh. Cez Drake was a good friend to Shawn, like a mentor to him. He’d been there when Shawn was first assigned your case and consoled him when he put you behind bars.

“Deciphered it in her letters to Brooks. Promised she’d meet him at the place it all began. Their old apartment,” he explained briefly, not exactly knowing how he was going to look at you again, let alone arrest you.

Cez simply nodded and pursed his lips shut, Brian and Julia doing the same and they knew Shawn felt a certain way about the case. The entire ride to the apartment complex was quiet - silent, actually - but none of them seemed to mind, knew Shawn had to prepare himself, for whatever reason.

“Doesn’t this seem a little too easy?” Julia spoke from the backseat, breaking the unbearable silence and Shawn shook his head. “She broke out for him,” he spoke, voice low and barely audible but it was lucky the team were straining their ears.

“Brooks? But he set her up, disappeared off our radar,” Julia spoke with furrowed brows, suddenly questioning her knowledge and wondering if Shawn knew something she didn’t. 

He did.

“And now she knows it. She’s got no reason to run,” he explained. Shawn parked up the black SUV and clambered out of the bureau’s vehicle. Taking a deep breath, Shawn motioned for the team to follow his lead, no need to scope out the place.

He flashed his badge to the receptionist, no waiting long enough to see her gulp, nod her head, and take a step back from her desk. He simply took to the elevator, a solemn look on his face and his heart quaked in his chest. The team joined him, doors closing and he reached to the panel and clicked for the sixth floor.

With every inch the elevator lifted, Shawn felt his heart stammer, breathing becoming a little more staggered and difficult. His chest felt like it was caving in, lungs crushing… and then the doors opened.

He stared out into the hall for a moment, desperate for time to prepare himself, but he knew he had anything but time. “They have a team downstairs,” Brian informs the curly-haired man, shoving his phone back into his suit pocket and Shawn barely nodded his head.

With a deep breath, he walked out of the lift and down the hall, following the same path he had all those years ago, but no one else knew that… they couldn’t. He rounded the corner, eyes hazy when he noticed that familiar white door, opened just a crack.

Everything seemed to come to a halt, like the world around him moved in slow motion, like he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, the ringing sounding through his mind and he tried not to fall, tried so desperately to hold it together. But the second he pushed the door open and saw you there, he lost it.

“You were right,” you let out through a choked sob, a crumpled piece of paper shaking in your trembling hands. You were on the floor, knees pulled up against your chest. You weren’t in that familiar orange outfit he’d last seen you in, no. You sat in a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans with some trainers.

Shawn grit his teeth at the sight of you; so vulnerable, so lost, so ready to give up your newfound freedom. He didn’t say anything, how could he. Instead, he slowly padded over to you and sat beside you, back to the wall and your arms just centimetres apart.

You took a shaky breath, his scent filling your senses and you cried harder, that smell that once soothed your worries and made you feel safe, a scent that still did, but you knew it shouldn’t.

You took a deep breath and uncovered your face, bringing yourself to look up at him and he froze. You were still so fucking beautiful, so incredibly  _you_. Your hair had been cut shorter than he last remembered it being, your eyes still so fragile and broken. And him? Oh,  _God._

He grew out his curls, the way you always used to tell him you wished he would. A little scruff adoring his jaw and he wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a man, a complete and utter man and you hated yourself for every stupid mistake you ever made.

“You know you’re going back, for life, right?” Shawn gently spoke, voice cracking slightly and it broke him to utter those words to you. You pursed your lips at the sound of his voice, how soft and rugged it still seemed and you nodded with a sniffle.

“I know,” you nodded again, crumbling the tearstained paper in your hand and taking a deep breath. The team watched from across the room, brows furrowed at the way you both seemed to interact and their shock only increased when you threw your arms around his shoulders and your head in his neck.

Shawn wrapped his arms around you, holding you so tightly you worried he might break you. But he didn’t, and he never could. “If you give us information, I can make you a deal,” he whispered in your ear, fingers soothing through your matted hair and you sniffled, pulling back with furrowed brows.

“I… I don’t know anything, Shawn. If I knew where he was, I wouldn’t be here,” you choked out, shaking your head and Shawn shook his, a knowing look on his face. “You know I’m not talking about your brother,” he deadpanned, lips in a hard line and you looked from him to the rest of his team.

They watched you wearily through squinted eyes, your heart stammering a little and you turned back to Shawn. “Tell us where you hid the art,” he whispered, voice as encouraging as it possibly could be and you frowned again.

“If I knew where the art was, I  _still_ wouldn’t be here,” you snapped, a sudden rush of anger bursting through you at the mention of the art you’d stolen… the art your brother had  _set you up_  to steal. You glared at the agent, eyes hard when you noticed something sitting on his shoulder, seemingly a thin piece of thread.

“Were you working on a case before you came here?” you asked, eyes trained on the little wire and Shawn nodded with a frown. “Briefly. Suit’s dusty, they set off a bomb to destroy evidence,” he explained shortly, brows furrowed as he watched you pick the wire from his shoulder.

You examined it between your fingers, Shawn and his team watching you intently and you shook your head, handing the thread to him and raising your brows. “You know you have a mass psycho on your hands, right?” you asked, eyes flicking between him and the group, tears long dried.

Shawn frowned as he looked closely at the thread. “What are you talking about? The case was a drug launder,” Julia spoke up, arms folded over her chest and she looked at you with disbelief.

You let out a scoff. “You mean The Ticker, that Shawn not-so-graciously named,” you corrected her, watching her posture stiffen when you mentioned the criminal’s name. Shawn frowned. “How do you know about them?” Shawn asked, staring at you curiously and you shrugged.

“Knew of them before you locked me up and people talk in jail,” you told him, taking back the piece of thread and holding it up to the light. “Plus, they’re called The Ticker for a reason, and this is wired outlining of the newest toy on the market,” you handed it back to him, looking back up at the group and they stared at you.

“This is outlining of nuclear war bombs,” you summarised, the confusion on their faces quickly morphing into one of horror and Cez rushed out of the room, dialling for the bureau. Shawn grabbed your arm and turned you to look at him, large hands cupping either side of your face and your eyes grew wide.

“I have a plan that’s gonna keep you out of jail,” he whispered breathlessly, voice quiet as the rest of his team joined Cez in the hall. You stared at him frantically, confusion riddling your mind and you shook your head. “What?” you breathed out.

Shawn held you closer and took a deep breath. “I can’t put you away again, okay? I can’t, but you have to help me, Y/N. We have to trust each other,” he rushed out, your heart skipping a beat and you nodded your head at the agent.

He pulled away and stood to his feet, nodding at you and scrolling through his phone. The team came back into the apartment, Brian taking his cuffs and walking toward you. Shawn held an arm out, stopping him from getting any closer and you frowned with a slightly tilted head.

His hushed words were lost through the other end of the phone as the team stared at him curiously. Numerous mumbled words were shared and quickly, all eyes were on you. “Yes, sir,” Shawn spoke lowly, ending the call and a flicker of a smile hinted on the corners of his lips.

“What do you say about a deal?” he asked, eyes soft and you gazed around the room. “You help the FBI and you don’t go back to jail? We could use your expertise,” he proposed, your eyed meeting his and you blinked slowly.

“What’s the catch?” you asked, gulping loudly and he crouched in front of you. “Two-mile anklet,” he softly spoke twirling the small wire from his shoulder in his fingers. “And?” you asked, knowing that wouldn’t be just it, not for an international thief. “You work with me on everything,” he whispered.

You winced, heart already aching at the idea and you shook your head. “Shawn-” he cut you off sharply, “Y/N, this is your life we’re talking about, okay? Forget what we used to be and think of your future,” he pleaded, eyes stern and you gulped.

“What if I run?” you ponder, Shawn shaking his head with a sigh. “We find you and you go back, for life.” You nodded at his words, taking a deep breath and weighing out your options, though you didn’t exactly have any but this one he was offering.

“Do we have a deal?” he asked, eyes silently begging you to just agree, to just do something right for once. You thought back to your brother, to how he abandoned you and got you into this mess in the first place and you quickly concluded your answer.

“Okay.”


End file.
